I have been also working to get my web site worked into something that will be a use and a blessing. Be sure to go there at:
http://evangelistbillblount.com/
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
RESPECT
The other day I was mowing our back lawn. We don’t have a very large lawn but in a back area of this lawn we have one of my all time best friends buried. His name was Dusty. Dusty was the best Golden Retriever that ever lived. He lived a wonderfully long life for a Golden Retriever. He finally died of old age at age 15. His whole life was devoted to doing whatever he could to please my wife Bonnie and I. He was always there at any time even when he was not feeling like it, to be our friend. When he died it broke our hearts and we ordered a stone marker to mark his grave. On it we had inscribed “The Best Friend Ever”. My wife also wanted to have inscribed on it “Our Puppy” because that is what she always called him. Bonnie did something else. She took the double dish that we had fed him in and she put two rocks in them and placed that at the head of his grave right above the stone marker. That thing has been there now for four years. Because of the water that would freeze in it during the winter, that double dish has both sides of it broken. It is filled with green and not very pretty. While I was mowing the grass I kicked it aside so that I could mow around it and I thought it looked ugly and should be thrown away. After second thought I put it back exactly like my wife Bonnie had put it there because I dearly respect my wife and her feelings. I remembered how we both had cried when our 15 year old “Puppy”, “The Best Friend Ever” had died. I decided that however ugly those dishes were, they were still there because my wife had been leaving them there and they meant something to her, and I respect her.
In the historical remembrance of the life of David, there is a place in II Samuel where it speaks of three mighty men who stood with David. The names of these men were Adino, Eleazar and Shammah. There it describes super human things that they did. One thing it describes was when David, with these three mighty men were then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. While they were in hiding it says “And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” He didn’t realize what these three might men out of respect for their King would do. It goes on and says; “And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David:” Once again we see God provide us with another tremendous example of respect because we read; “nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. and he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it.
The understanding and practice of respect is sadly becoming a lost quality. We are regularly seeing things that we grew up doing out of respect, not being done now because it seems that people don't even understand the concept. I was taught that as a man, I should not on most cases wear my hat inside a building out of respect. I was taught to say "yes Mam or no Mam", "yes Sir or no Sir." The way we dressed up in our best Sunday go to meeting cloths was out of respect for the Lord's Day.
Unless we install within our hearts and minds principles and practices from the Word Of God we will have no more understanding of things like respect than some dumb cow. This is why good solid preaching from the Word Of God is so important. This is why it is so important for God’s people to be where the Word is being preached and taught on a regular basis.
God help me to learn respect!
In the historical remembrance of the life of David, there is a place in II Samuel where it speaks of three mighty men who stood with David. The names of these men were Adino, Eleazar and Shammah. There it describes super human things that they did. One thing it describes was when David, with these three mighty men were then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. While they were in hiding it says “And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” He didn’t realize what these three might men out of respect for their King would do. It goes on and says; “And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David:” Once again we see God provide us with another tremendous example of respect because we read; “nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD. and he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it.
The understanding and practice of respect is sadly becoming a lost quality. We are regularly seeing things that we grew up doing out of respect, not being done now because it seems that people don't even understand the concept. I was taught that as a man, I should not on most cases wear my hat inside a building out of respect. I was taught to say "yes Mam or no Mam", "yes Sir or no Sir." The way we dressed up in our best Sunday go to meeting cloths was out of respect for the Lord's Day.
Unless we install within our hearts and minds principles and practices from the Word Of God we will have no more understanding of things like respect than some dumb cow. This is why good solid preaching from the Word Of God is so important. This is why it is so important for God’s people to be where the Word is being preached and taught on a regular basis.
God help me to learn respect!
Monday, June 9, 2008
GOD POSTS A PROMISE
In Genesis 9:12 – 17 To Noah and all of his who had been saved safely on the ark, and now to all of mankind, God now makes a promise and gives the rainbow as an everlasting reminder of that promise. Every time I see a rainbow I am reminded again not only of that promise, but of God’s desire to communicate His promises to man and the complete confidence that He will keep His promises.
In Adam Clark’s Commentary he says of this passage in scripture:
"My bow I have given, or put in the cloud;" as if he said: As surely as the rainbow is a necessary effect of sunshine in rain, and must continue such as long as the sun and atmosphere endure, so surely shall this earth be preserved from destruction by water; and its preservation shall be as necessary an effect of my promise as the rainbow is of the shining of the sun during a shower of rain.
You know God has POSTED thousands of promises in His precious word that He desires to communicate to you and I. Even before I was saved I can remember the ever present communication being brought to me by the Holy Spirit working out various means for me to come in contact with John 3:16: “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
O how well I remember when after running from God and finally stopping my run and then trusting Him as my Lord and Saviour, my confidence as a new born child of God began to increase in strength as I began to feast on the promises of God. One by one they began to become a part of my bedrock of confidence as I would discover another promise He had POSTED. Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Everyone, including me, had no righteousness of our own. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; He had POSTED the sin problem that we all have, including me. He POSTED in Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That even though we had this awful sin problem He still loved us so much that Christ died for us even while we were still in that awful condition.
In Romans 6:23 He POSTED the way out. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And then He made it plain and simple even how to make that choice become a reality to me right now in Romans 10:9 – 11 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
And then it was almost like he gave me the line to sign my name on when He POSTED verse 13 there in Romans 10: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” I signed the promise that he posted back when I was 15 years old.
Now every time I see a rainbow I am reminded. GOD NEVER GOES BACK ON HIS PROMISES.
Here is a POSTED promise from God that I need today and for that matter every day.
James 1:5 – 8 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
"My bow I have given, or put in the cloud;" as if he said: As surely as the rainbow is a necessary effect of sunshine in rain, and must continue such as long as the sun and atmosphere endure, so surely shall this earth be preserved from destruction by water; and its preservation shall be as necessary an effect of my promise as the rainbow is of the shining of the sun during a shower of rain.
You know God has POSTED thousands of promises in His precious word that He desires to communicate to you and I. Even before I was saved I can remember the ever present communication being brought to me by the Holy Spirit working out various means for me to come in contact with John 3:16: “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
O how well I remember when after running from God and finally stopping my run and then trusting Him as my Lord and Saviour, my confidence as a new born child of God began to increase in strength as I began to feast on the promises of God. One by one they began to become a part of my bedrock of confidence as I would discover another promise He had POSTED. Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Everyone, including me, had no righteousness of our own. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; He had POSTED the sin problem that we all have, including me. He POSTED in Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That even though we had this awful sin problem He still loved us so much that Christ died for us even while we were still in that awful condition.
In Romans 6:23 He POSTED the way out. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And then He made it plain and simple even how to make that choice become a reality to me right now in Romans 10:9 – 11 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
And then it was almost like he gave me the line to sign my name on when He POSTED verse 13 there in Romans 10: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” I signed the promise that he posted back when I was 15 years old.
Now every time I see a rainbow I am reminded. GOD NEVER GOES BACK ON HIS PROMISES.
Here is a POSTED promise from God that I need today and for that matter every day.
James 1:5 – 8 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
I LOVE RAINBOWS
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Letter Of Recommendation for Dr. Bill Blount from Dr. Charles F. Keen
FirstBible
International
"A Fundamental Approach to the 10/40 Window"
Letter of Recommendation for Dr. Bill Blount
It is my privilege to recommend to you Dr. Bill Blount. I have known him since 1966 when we were school mates at Midwestern Baptist College. I have followed his ministry since those faraway days and have had him in for ministry on more than one occasion while pastoring at the First Baptist Church of Milford, Ohio.
What I have observed about Dr. Blount is:
1. His stability. Bill is as he has always been a fundamental Baptist. In this day of vacillation and forward thinking he is stable and looking toward the Bible way of ministry.
2. He has the kind of wife required for ministry. Bonnie is a great helpmate and has over the years proven to be "one helping another to become what he cannot become alone".
3 .He, like the apostle Paul, is also a multitalented man. He is an accomplished musician, a God-called evangelist with the necessary gifts for effectiveness and has a missionary heart which is evident in the fact he delights in holding Faith Promise Missions Conferences. Time would fail me to tell you of his moral and doctrinal purity. Sufficient to say he will always help the church where he is allowed to minister.
I recommend Brother Bill highly first of all because of his Christian character, then because of his highly developed gifts and talents.
Sincerely,
Dr. Charles F. Keen
Director of FirstBible International
International
"A Fundamental Approach to the 10/40 Window"
Letter of Recommendation for Dr. Bill Blount
It is my privilege to recommend to you Dr. Bill Blount. I have known him since 1966 when we were school mates at Midwestern Baptist College. I have followed his ministry since those faraway days and have had him in for ministry on more than one occasion while pastoring at the First Baptist Church of Milford, Ohio.
What I have observed about Dr. Blount is:
1. His stability. Bill is as he has always been a fundamental Baptist. In this day of vacillation and forward thinking he is stable and looking toward the Bible way of ministry.
2. He has the kind of wife required for ministry. Bonnie is a great helpmate and has over the years proven to be "one helping another to become what he cannot become alone".
3 .He, like the apostle Paul, is also a multitalented man. He is an accomplished musician, a God-called evangelist with the necessary gifts for effectiveness and has a missionary heart which is evident in the fact he delights in holding Faith Promise Missions Conferences. Time would fail me to tell you of his moral and doctrinal purity. Sufficient to say he will always help the church where he is allowed to minister.
I recommend Brother Bill highly first of all because of his Christian character, then because of his highly developed gifts and talents.
Sincerely,
Dr. Charles F. Keen
Director of FirstBible International
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF DR. BILL BLOUNT
This biographical sketch is written by my brother, Dr. Golden Blount. He has said things about me that I would not feel comfortable saying about myself.
Dr. Bill Blount, Powerful Bible Preacher, Inspiring Soloist, Dynamic Music Director, Successful Pastor of three churches, Professor of Bible & Music at Midwestern Baptist College, Pontiac, Michigan, Father and Husband whose family has followed him in the service of Christ.
Dr. Bill Blount was born in Canton, Ohio on July 1, 1940. He was born again at age 15 during a revival at the Canton Baptist Temple in 1955 where Dr. B. R. Lakin was the Evangelist. God called him to train for the ministry in 1960, and he was immediately obedient, graduating from Midwestern Baptist College, Pontiac, Michigan, with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Education in 1965. Rev. Blount was ordained as a minister of the gospel by the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Pontiac, Michigan, in 1965. Because of God's blessings upon his work in the Gospel ministry of preaching, pastoring and music, Midwestern Baptist College honored him with the degree of Doctor of Sacred Music in 1995. Dr. Bill began at age nine to train as a soloist and he thrilled crowds of thousands as a coloratura boy soprano with an ability to sing E above high C with ease. In the years following he became the featured soloist and performer for the finest all male choir in all of Ohio, leading soloist in highest ranked high school choir in Massillon, Ohio. God used him in the exciting music ministry of the Canton Baptist Temple, and then sent him to Midwestern Baptist College to be trained as a preacher and singer of the Gospel. Dr. Bill was a teacher of Bible and Music courses at Midwestern Baptist College during the years of 1993 thru 1999, until the new work of Evangelism grew to such a state that schedules were impossible to coordinate. He is now being used of God greatly in the field of evangelism to preach and sing the Gospel. He desires to help Pastors, challenge churches and win souls. He is also a National Representative for Baptist International Outreach founded and now led by Dr. Richard Vick.
Dr. Bill Blount, Powerful Bible Preacher, Inspiring Soloist, Dynamic Music Director, Successful Pastor of three churches, Professor of Bible & Music at Midwestern Baptist College, Pontiac, Michigan, Father and Husband whose family has followed him in the service of Christ.
Dr. Bill Blount was born in Canton, Ohio on July 1, 1940. He was born again at age 15 during a revival at the Canton Baptist Temple in 1955 where Dr. B. R. Lakin was the Evangelist. God called him to train for the ministry in 1960, and he was immediately obedient, graduating from Midwestern Baptist College, Pontiac, Michigan, with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Education in 1965. Rev. Blount was ordained as a minister of the gospel by the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Pontiac, Michigan, in 1965. Because of God's blessings upon his work in the Gospel ministry of preaching, pastoring and music, Midwestern Baptist College honored him with the degree of Doctor of Sacred Music in 1995. Dr. Bill began at age nine to train as a soloist and he thrilled crowds of thousands as a coloratura boy soprano with an ability to sing E above high C with ease. In the years following he became the featured soloist and performer for the finest all male choir in all of Ohio, leading soloist in highest ranked high school choir in Massillon, Ohio. God used him in the exciting music ministry of the Canton Baptist Temple, and then sent him to Midwestern Baptist College to be trained as a preacher and singer of the Gospel. Dr. Bill was a teacher of Bible and Music courses at Midwestern Baptist College during the years of 1993 thru 1999, until the new work of Evangelism grew to such a state that schedules were impossible to coordinate. He is now being used of God greatly in the field of evangelism to preach and sing the Gospel. He desires to help Pastors, challenge churches and win souls. He is also a National Representative for Baptist International Outreach founded and now led by Dr. Richard Vick.
Some Thoughts about music in the church from Dr. Bill Blount
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Eph 5:19
It is quite interesting to realize that music in the church has for centuries been a source of both argument and great blessing. In one period of time it was considered absolutely wrong for open congregational singing because you could have women singing openly and women were after all to remain silent. There was also a time when it was thought completely improper for open congregational singing because it would allow for the possibility of both saved and unsaved to sing together which would be an unscriptural yoke. Other times allowed for only the trained qualified singers to be allowed to sing.
We know that John and Charles Wesley were not Baptists but as we trace some periods of their lives we find that they were Missionaries before they were by their own words really born again. In time as they grew in the Lord they were responsible for the beginning of the use of Hymns and Hymn books the way that we use them today. In their mission work trying to reach the thousands of their own Englishmen who were of a totally different class system they came under great criticism. Their whole society was locked into a class system that made this something that was not thought of as a good thing to do. But they were greatly burdened with reaching these lost souls. Many of these “peasants” had very hard lives where they worked very hard for very little at mostly menial jobs. There were thousands of them who worked in the coal mines. Coal mining has always been a dangerous matter but in that day it was unbelievably dangerous. Very few of these peasants could read or write. The Wesley’s found that they were able to reach many of them with the gospel of Christ and they did. As they began to see the numbers of these peasants grow, they faced many problem. One was the fact that they were not welcomed into the higher societal churches of England so they very soon began to meet at other places which started other churches. This was not completely legal by some reasoning under their system of government which sometimes caused problems. There was another problem they faced that was huge. However, this problem ended up producing something that had not been done. This was the problem of teaching these new converts bible doctrine. They could not read or write so this presented a real challenge. After all, the great commission from our Lord said “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”. The solution to this problem was solved by the Wesley’s by the writing of hymns. During his life Charles wrote over 9000 hymns. Sometimes tunes that were already known from some other source could be used but new words would be written that would through the verses teach key bible doctrines. Sometimes he would need to originate new tunes to go with these bible doctrinal words. What a truly wonderful thing. These new unlearned peasants who could neither read nor write could very easily be taught to sing a song. As they learned these songs they were also learning a new precious bible doctrine that now could bring new joy and peace and proper scriptural growth to their new born again hearts. Some of these illiterate people became some of the strongest stalwarts of Christian example the world has ever known. I know that we are not trying to become Methodist and we know why we are Baptists, but I must say, Oh that God would impress upon our hearts today the same kind of Spirit led motivation in choosing and using the music in our services.
“Preaching The Glorious Gospel Of Christ And Making Melody Along The Way”
It is quite interesting to realize that music in the church has for centuries been a source of both argument and great blessing. In one period of time it was considered absolutely wrong for open congregational singing because you could have women singing openly and women were after all to remain silent. There was also a time when it was thought completely improper for open congregational singing because it would allow for the possibility of both saved and unsaved to sing together which would be an unscriptural yoke. Other times allowed for only the trained qualified singers to be allowed to sing.
We know that John and Charles Wesley were not Baptists but as we trace some periods of their lives we find that they were Missionaries before they were by their own words really born again. In time as they grew in the Lord they were responsible for the beginning of the use of Hymns and Hymn books the way that we use them today. In their mission work trying to reach the thousands of their own Englishmen who were of a totally different class system they came under great criticism. Their whole society was locked into a class system that made this something that was not thought of as a good thing to do. But they were greatly burdened with reaching these lost souls. Many of these “peasants” had very hard lives where they worked very hard for very little at mostly menial jobs. There were thousands of them who worked in the coal mines. Coal mining has always been a dangerous matter but in that day it was unbelievably dangerous. Very few of these peasants could read or write. The Wesley’s found that they were able to reach many of them with the gospel of Christ and they did. As they began to see the numbers of these peasants grow, they faced many problem. One was the fact that they were not welcomed into the higher societal churches of England so they very soon began to meet at other places which started other churches. This was not completely legal by some reasoning under their system of government which sometimes caused problems. There was another problem they faced that was huge. However, this problem ended up producing something that had not been done. This was the problem of teaching these new converts bible doctrine. They could not read or write so this presented a real challenge. After all, the great commission from our Lord said “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”. The solution to this problem was solved by the Wesley’s by the writing of hymns. During his life Charles wrote over 9000 hymns. Sometimes tunes that were already known from some other source could be used but new words would be written that would through the verses teach key bible doctrines. Sometimes he would need to originate new tunes to go with these bible doctrinal words. What a truly wonderful thing. These new unlearned peasants who could neither read nor write could very easily be taught to sing a song. As they learned these songs they were also learning a new precious bible doctrine that now could bring new joy and peace and proper scriptural growth to their new born again hearts. Some of these illiterate people became some of the strongest stalwarts of Christian example the world has ever known. I know that we are not trying to become Methodist and we know why we are Baptists, but I must say, Oh that God would impress upon our hearts today the same kind of Spirit led motivation in choosing and using the music in our services.
“Preaching The Glorious Gospel Of Christ And Making Melody Along The Way”
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